Laundry machine



J. N. VERMILYA LAUNDRY MACHINE Jan. 26, 1932.

Original Filed Sept. 25. 1926 2.5heets-SheetIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUWII .IIlIIllflllllllllillllllIIIIIIIINVENTOR A TT ORNE K5.

Jan.'26,' 1932. J. N. VERMILYA 1,842,777

Original Filed Sept. 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l J-NVENTOR E y /P/g ,ATTORNEYLS.

Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES N. VER-MILYA,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERYCOMPANY, OF NORWOOD, CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORORATION 0F OHIO LAUNDRYMACHINE Application filed September 25, 1926, Serial No. 137,808.Renewed December 16, 1931.

This invention relates to laundry machines such as for Washing orbleaching, and has special reference to the treatment of the fluidsemployed in such machines whereby the treat- 5; ing ingredients thereinare utilized under the most effective conditions possible. Such amachine commonly consists of a generally cylindrical tub in which isarrangedvto rotate with periodic reversals a foraminated drum, the tubbeing partially lled with the treating liquid such as a soap solution orbleaching `fluid, the articles to be treated being placed Within thedrum, rotation of Which alternately submerges and drains the articles.

In the ordinary Washing process va solution of soap and Water isemployed.

It is generally understood that the suds eect of the soap and Watersolution is produced by the formation of an emulsion ilm. When this filmis broken down during the Washing process the effectiveness of the soapsolution, as a detergent, is greatly reduced and the suds is said to bebroken down or dead. The breaking down of the emulsion is tion of thesolution, and not a chemical change. By injecting air into this solutionthe partially destroyed emulsion iilm may be built up and the brokendown soap solution thus revivil'ied. Various mechanical means have beendevised for reforming an emulsion film by agitation but I have i'oundthese 40 tion, agitation to a much less -`degree would follow due to thefact .that steam would be absorbed by the solution, and practically noincrease in the suds Would result. Moreover high temperature steam would4destroy the emulsion film, and to obtain any yappreciable degree ofagitation the use of high pressure steam would be necessary. Another,considerable disadvantage in the use of steam Would be its effect inraising the temperature of the solution which, when treating manymaterials matter.

the result of a change in the physical condisuch as for example Woolenblankets, must be maintained Within close temperature limits to avoiddamage.`

Similar advantages result from the employment of air in bleachingoperations. A common bleaching medium is sodium hypochlorite Which underaction of air releases chlorine; the chlorine in turn reacting with theWater to release nascent oxygen, which eifects the bleaching byoxidation of coloring Hence in bleaching also, when air is employed toagitate the solution, the bleaching action is promoted. A furtheradvance in bleaching is the use of the chlorine bearing gases int-he'tub in place of air, recirculating the gases through the liquid inthe tub.

The above analysis outlines advantages in the use of air VKresulting ina great saving of the treating materialsheretofore required inaccomplishing the desired operations.

TheV ,object of my invention therefore is the provision in a machine ofthe class described, adapted for either Washing or bleaching purposes,ojf means for agitating the ivrashingor bleaching liquid by injection ofgaseous mediums thereinto; and more particularly the invention includesmeans Whereby compressed lor atmospheric air, steam, or bleachingvapors, and/or any combination of the same may be -employed as theagitating medium.

Further objects and advantages of my invention Will be in part obviousand in part pointed out in the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is an elevationy,partially in section of a typical machine `embodying my invention;Fig.' 2, an end elevation of the same 3, a detailed vier7 of the pipingarrangement employed as in the horizontal planes of line 3,-3, Fig. 1Fig. 4;, a sectional detail of the aspirator; Fig. ,5, a typical section.taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. l; Fig. 6, a detailed section ot theconnection between the lines for lthe injection of atmospheric air andgases from the upper portion of the machine respectively, and taken inthe plane of line G-Soi Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 7, a detail of theatmospheric air strainer.

`Referring now speciiically to the `drawings the principal parts of themachine are the tub 2 supported in the frame or casing 1 and in which ismounted for rotation by suitable means not shown connecting with thegears 4, the cylinder or drum 3 provided with a oraininous wall topermit a treating fluid with which the tub may be partially filled, toenter the cylinder and contact with the articles to be treated therein.The tub and drum are provided with suitable alignable doors throughwhich the drum may be loaded and unloaded.

Running longitudinally across the tub beneath the drum I have provided adistributor pipe 5 provided with downwardly directed rows ofvperitorations 6 whereby whatever medium may be injected through theperforations will be evenly distributed in the treating liquid of thetub. The distributor 5 is suitably maintained lin position throughstuiiing boxes 7 and is connected at its intake end with the T 8 havinga connection by means of piping including the members 9b, 9a and 9 witha steam supply controlled by a valve 10; the outlet end of thedistributor is provided with a blow-ofin valve 24. The T 8 also connectsby means of the nipple 26 with the body portion 11 of an aspirator,within which is maintained a nozzle 12 connected by means of pipingincluding the members 13 and 14a to a steam supply controlled by a valve14.

Also connected with the body 11 of the aspirator, by means of pipingincluding the members 150, 15b, 15al and 15, is a strainer head 16,which permits entrance of atmospheric air to the piping 15 subject tothe valve 17. Connected in the system Iis a compressed air lineincluding the members 18 and 18a, and valve 19, leading to piping 13 byway of a T not appearing in the drawings but located behind the piping 9(Fig. 1), behind the piping 18 (Fig. 2) and behind the valve 14 (Fig.3). Connected to the piping 15 by means of the fitting 15a, is thepiping 20, 20a and 206, controlled by valve 21, and connected with ahollow member 22 of arcuate shape having access to the upper portion ofthe tub.

Functioning of my invention during a washing operation is as follows,assuming that the machine has been loaded with niaterial to be washedand the proper soap and water solution provided in the tub: inovement ofthe drum Within the forni will create suds and at the same timewash theclothes; after a certain length of time however the life of the solutiondue to its taking up dirt from the material will be decreased. Torevivify this suds, assuming that all the valves have been closed, theoperator will normally yopen valves 14 and 17 allowing steam to passthrough the injector nozzle 12 into the pipe 5 creating a vacuum whichcauses atmospheric air to be drawn through the strainer head 16, and byway of piping 15 through the injector and into the Washing solutionthrough the perorations 6, at relatively high velocity, and causing thesuds to be greatly increased.

1f the operator desires to accomplish the injection without increasingthe temperature of the washing solution he can open merely the valve 19allowing compressed air only to accomplish the purpose; and obviouslywhere only a slight temperature rise is desired, some steam may beadmitted through the valve 10 or 14 in addition to the compressed airthrough the valve 19.

1f the temperature of the solution is too low and the heat :from thesteam through the valve 14 is not suimicient to raise the temperature ofthe solution, the valve 10 may be opened to the required amount,increasing the injection temperature by the addition of steam.

Assuming now that Vthe clothes have been washed and it is desired tobleach them the tub is drained of the washing solution, which isreplaced to the proper level with a solution of water and sodiumhypochlorite. The valves 19 and 21 are next opened, the valve 19admitting air into the distributor 5 under pressure. The air passingupward through the bleaching solution releases chlorine gas ashereiiibefore described, some of which together with the air is drawnthrough meniber 22 and piping 2O to be recirculated, the chlorine gasmeanwhile combining with the water to liberate oxygen. By thusrecirculating the vapors over the solution, the bleaching liquid isconserved by reclaiming chlorine gas ordinarily lost 5 and but arelatively small amount of bleaching liquid is required to accomplishthe desired results. Of course heatv may be added as before, by openingof the valve 14, and air may be admitted by the valve 17 to freshen thecirculating vapors.

To clean out the distributor 5 it is merely necessary that the valves 10and 24 be opened whereupon steam will pass through the pipe and out at25 draining any foreign matter which may have become lodged Within.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a cylindrical tub adapted to bepartially filled with a fabric treating liquid including soap, aforaminated drum for holding fabric emersed in the liquid in said drumand arranged for rotation, and means for injecting atmospheric air intothe liquid in said drum to agitate such liquid and thereby maintain asoap iilm thereon, said means embodying a distributor exten-ding alongthe tub beneath said foraininated drum, and an injector having itsoutlet in communication with said distributor and its inlet incommunication with atmospheric air, and means for controlling thetemperature of the liquid within said drum including a steam connectionbetween said injector and said distributor.

2. In a machine of the class described, a cylindrical tub adapted to bepartially filled with a fabric treating liquid including soap, aforaminated drum for holding fabric emersed in the liquid in said drumand arranged for rotation, and means for injecting atmospheric air intothe liquid in said drum to agitate such liquid and thereby maintain asoap film thereon, said means embodying a distributor extending alongthe tub beneath said foraminated drum, and an injector having its outletin communication with said distributor and its inlet in communicationwith atmospheric air, means for controlling the temperature of theliquid within said drum including a steam connection between saidinjector and said distributor, and means for removing the vapors fromsaid tub and re-injecting them thereinto through the treating liquid.

In testimony whereof I hereby aiX my signature.

JAMES N. VERMILYA.

